FUNDACIN UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERIA MECANICA

MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY
Page 1 of 6
MICROHARDNESS GUIDE
1.

OBJECTIVES

Identify the importance of the Vickers hardness in the engineering materials

characterization

Determine the mechanical properties obtained through the microhardness test.

Correlate the Vickers hardness values with the material microstructures and
microconstituents.

Determine the effects of the grain size on the hardness values.

Write a report, including every aspect related to the experiments performed in

the microhardness experiment.

2.

SPECIMENS, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Two specimens will be studied per group, where each specimen will be indented twice
and a mean value for Vickers hardness will be taken out of those two measurements.
2.1.

EQUIPMENTS

The following equipments will be used:

3.

Micro Hardness meter AKASHI MVK-HO

PROCEDURE

The instructor will start with a theoretical class about the basis and good practices
used for microhardness tests, followed by a quick presentation of the used
equipments.

FUNDACIN UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERIA MECANICA
MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY
Page 2 of 6
MICROHARDNESS GUIDE
The methodology used inside the microhardness laboratory is described in the
following phases:

The instructor assigns the test specimens for each student in every group, the
same specimens as the ones used for the previous metallography experiment.
(Students per group: 2).
o

The student along with the help and instructions from the instructor or the
laboratory assistant will perform the set up for the specimen to be tested in
the microhardness test stand.

Since the specimens have been previously chemically etched, the students
will be encouraged to predict the test results based on the observed
microconstituents and their structures.

The student will measure the indentation diagonal with the help of software
image processing tool, and calculate the Vickers hadrness value (HV).

4.

SAFETY

During the development of tests inside the laboratory, the following requisite must be
fulfilled:
The students must wear the proper clothing for working inside the laboratory
(Laboratory coat, long pants and closed shoes).

Under any circumstances the students will use the laboratory equipments
without the direct assistance and supervision from the laboratory assistant or
the instructor.

Follow the recommendations of the instructor and the laboratory assistant.

FUNDACIN UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERIA MECANICA
MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY
Page 3 of 6
MICROHARDNESS GUIDE
5.

DATA ANALYSIS

MATERIAL

6.

MICRO

LOAD

DIAGONAL

DIAGONAL

DIAGONAL

VICKERS

CONSTITUENTS

(gf)

MEAN

HARDNESS

THEORETICAL BASIS

Hardness is a characteristic of a material, not a fundamental physical property. It is

defined as the resistance to indentation, and it is determined by measuring the
permanent depth of the indentation. More simply put, when using a fixed force (load)
and a given indenter, the smaller the indentation, the harder the material. Indentation
hardness value is obtained by measuring the depth or the area of the indentation using
one of over 12 different test methods. Click here to learn more about hardness testing
basics.
The Vickers hardness test method, also referred to as a microhardness test method, is
mostly used for small parts, thin sections, or case depth work. The Vickers method is
based on an optical measurement system. The Microhardness test procedure, ASTM E384, specifies a range of light loads using a diamond indenter to make an indentation
which is measured and converted to a hardness value. It is very useful for testing on a
wide type of materials as long as test samples are carefully prepared. A square base
pyramid shaped diamond is used for testing in the Vickers scale. Typically loads are
very light, ranging from a 1 grams to one kilogram (just as the available range for the
equipment used) or several kilograms, although "Macro" Vickers loads can range up to
30 kg or more. The Microhardness methods are used to test on metals, ceramics, and
composites - almost any type of material.

FUNDACIN UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERIA MECANICA
MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY
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MICROHARDNESS GUIDE
Since the test indentation is very small in a Vickers test, it is useful for a variety of
applications: testing very thin materials like foils or measuring the surface of a part,
small parts or small areas, measuring individual microstructures, or measuring the
depth of case hardening by sectioning a part and making a series of indentations to
describe a profile of the change in hardness. The Vickers method is more commonly
used.
Sample preparation is usually necessary with a microhardness test in order to provide
a small enough specimen that can fit into the tester. Additionally, the sample
preparation will need to make the specimens surface smooth to permit a regular
indentation shape and good measurement, and to ensure the sample can be held
perpendicular to the indenter. Usually the prepared samples are mounted in a plastic
medium to facilitate the preparation and testing. The indentations should be as large
as possible to maximize the measurement resolution. (Error is magnified as
indentation sizes decrease) The test procedure is subject to problems of operator
influence on the test results.
Opposing indenter faces are set at a 136 degree angle from one another.

By the implementation of conversion charts, the Vickers hardness can transformed to

other hardness scales, like Rockwell and Brinell. This will allow us to use the results of
a Vickers test with the calculation of the Hall-Petch equation.

FUNDACIN UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERIA MECANICA
MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY
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MICROHARDNESS GUIDE

The relation between Rockwell hardness and grain size is described mathematically by
the HallPetch equation:

where H is the Rockwell hardness , Ho is a materials constant for the starting Hardness
, kH is the hardening coefficient (a constant unique to each material), and d is the
average grain diameter.
Theoretically, a material could be made infinitely strong if the grains are made
infinitely small. This is impossible though, because the lower limit of grain size is a
single unit cell of the material. Even then, if the grains of a material are the size of a
single unit cell, then the material is in fact amorphous, not crystalline, since there is no
long range order, and dislocations cannot be defined in an amorphous material. It has
been observed experimentally that the microstructure with the highest yield strength is
a grain size of about 10 nm (3.9107 in), because grains smaller than this undergo
another yielding mechanism, grain boundary sliding. Producing engineering materials
with this ideal grain size is difficult because only thin films can be reliably produced
with grains of this size.

7.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Explain with your own words the vickers test procedures and the equipments
related.
2. Why the results differ from the theoretical values?.
3. What are the sources of error?.
4. What relationship can be inferred from the results and the microconstituents
present in each specimen?.

FUNDACIN UNIVERSIDAD DEL NORTE

DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERIA MECANICA
MATERIALS SCIENCE LABORATORY
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MICROHARDNESS GUIDE

5. After doing a short revision of the ASTM norms: ASTM E 3, ASTM E 92. Highlight
some important considerations and conditions that must be fulfilled for the Vickers
test.
6. What are the differences between the knoop and Vickers test?.
7. What would be the effects on the hardness of the specimens, if a heat treatment,
such as an annealing, which helps the grain size to increase, is applied?.